Reality Check
by Charmedfan90
Summary: Will something at a bar change one thing between a certain two transgenics...or will it take something more to make Max realize the truth?
1. Chapter 1

_Oh man...I couldn't help but write another fic for Dark Angel (have so many other fics to write still haha) anyways, I hope you enjoy this first chapter...enjoy y'all!_

As Alec strolled into Jam Pony, he put a pleasant smile on his face. He knew that it would be able to win Normal over as it usually did. The X-5 bit back a smirk as he heard trademark "Bip bip bip," and knew that he was probably trying to get everyone to work faster. He knew that most people thought that he just sweet talked Normal into getting him less shifts for more pay. A part of him was hurt that his friends thought that, but he kept his emotions compartmentalized. "Hey Golden Boy!" Normal exclaimed seeing Alec walk into the room. Alec bit back a groan, and kept his smile firmly in place.

"Hey Normal," he said in a cheery voice.

"Got nice package for you today..it is one of our most important and best tipping customers," he said, handing Alec the wrapped package. Alec sometimes did wish that Normal wouldn't treat him to every nice paying package. It wasn't fair to the other employees. Well whatever, he couldn't do anything about it. As he approached his locker, he saw Max stroll in.

"What's your excuse this time Missy Miss?" Normal questioned.

"Can it Normal, I really don't have time for your bullshit today," Max shot at him irritably. Alec looked at her from across the room, and could practically feel her exhaustion from across the room. She stalked past him, and stormed towards her locker. Alec looked at her and saw dark circles under her eyes. He was worried about her, and he knew if he let it show, Max would think that he was hitting on her.

"Hey Maxie," Alec said, leaning against his locker, giving her his trademark grin. To any other girl, that would have made them weak in the knees. Instead it earned him a smack upside his head, and a pointed glare from her.

"Don't call me Maxie," she snarled. He put his hands up in surrender, and knew something was definitely wrong with her. He rubbed his head with his hand, but kept back his teasing tone. He knew that this was definitely not the time to anger this particular female X-5.

"Pull another all nighter?" he questioned in a concerned voice. He wished that Logan wasn't even around. If it wasn't for that virus; Max would probably realize how big of an asshole he really was. Yet here he was every time he needed her, using the power of guilt that Logan held on her. It wasn't his fault that Logan got infected with the virus. He would have been thrown back into Psy Ops again. He held back a shudder, and hoped that his eyes didn't betray what he was truly feeling.

Alec wanted nothing more than to make Max his. Ever since he stepped foot in her cell as 494 and became Alec he knew there was something about her. He knew that there was going to be a time when they would be together, and it wouldn't be forced by him. Alec knew that the time may never come for Max to want him as much as he wanted her. He slipped back into friend mood, and listened as Max continued to complain about not being able to find enough funding for finding a certain lead for the cure.

He looked down at the package in his hands. Alec knew that he would make more than enough money this day, and knew that Max needed this more than he did. "Max...look I know it isn't much, but go ahead and take this...I know these people usually tip really well," That snapped Max out of her somber mood, and her chocolate eyes traveled to look up at his.

"What do you want in return?" Max questioned.

"Max...you don't think I am capable of one kind act?" he asked, feigning hurt. Well he was slightly hurt that Max assumed that he was just some Tom Cat only doing something nice for a girl to get in her pants.

Instead of fighting with him, she just reluctantly took the package Alec was offering. "Thanks Alec," she said warmly.

He gently tugged on the wrapped item playfully, trying to make Max smile. "Alec..." she said, biting her lip trying to hold back a laugh. There we go, he thought, there is his Maxie's smile.

He let it go, and Max gave him a grin. "Thank you Alec...you have no idea how much this means to me," always the friend, never the boyfriend he thought sadly.

"No problem," Alec mumbled. "So you heading to Crash after work?"

"I don't know..." Max whispered.

"Come on Max..." Alec murmured. "It will be fun," he said to her. What was Alec thinking; there was no way that Max was ever going to come to him. She needed to get some serious R&R.

"Well...it has been a while since I have been there," Max murmured softly.

"Good," he said, glad that she was going to get away from constantly looking for a cure. And on top for that, she had been doing all of those Eyes Only missions. "Well I am going to go see if Normal has any more packages for me,"

Max nodded her head, and looked towards Alec's retreating form. As she re-ran the conversation through her head, she didn't seem to notice a flash of sadness pass through his eyes. She shook her head; it probably was just her imagination.

A couple hours later, Max was in front of Crash wondering if she should go in or not. She looked down at her pager, and saw that Logan was paging her again. Here she had two people wanting her to be somewhere. She was getting a little agitated with Logan at the moment. It seemed like he was paging her every five minutes. She felt her pager vibrate again and Max let out an aggravated growl and turned around. She threw the annoying device and jumped when she saw Alec barely dodge out of the way. "Something bothering you Maxie?" he questioned.

"Logan is paging me again!" Max grumbled. Alec slightly widened his eyes in surprise when she didn't correct him.

"Well...I think we need to get your mind off of Logan and Eyes Only," he said with a smile.

"How are we going to do that?" Max inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"I think of night of drinking and playing pool will get your mind off things," he said, gently taking her by the elbow leading her inside Crash. He was once again surprised as she didn't yell at him for "man-handling," her.

"That...that sounds good," she said. Maybe she could let her defenses down around him. Her defenses suddenly kicked back up. Alec was nothing but a tom cat.

"Something wrong?" he questioned, looking at her.

"It's fine," Max said shortly. Alec ignored the tone she clipped towards him; he was more than happy to make sure Max finally had a night out for herself for once.

"I think Max needs a drink," Alec said with a small smirk. He led her over to the bar, and had her sit down on a bar stool. "Hey two shots of Wild Turkey!" Alec called out to the bartender. He nodded his head, and got out to shot glasses.

"Hard stuff already?" Max questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, you know how we transgenics are," Alec breathed across her ear. Alec took the shot and placed it in her open palm. He then took his shot, and raised it towards hers. "This is the part where we clink glasses Max," he said as if he was talking to a five year old. She rolled her eyes, and lightly clinked her glass against his. They both lifted the shots to their lips and downed them. Max jerked lightly as the alcohol went down her throat.

He chuckled lightly and patted Max's back. "You ok?" he asked, trying not to chuckle.

"Yeah," she said, gently pushing his hand away from her. "Two more shots!" she called out, and Alec grinned at her. OC and Sketchy didn't show up, but for some odd reason that didn't seem to phase Max as she and Alec continued to drink.

As Alec looked at the other X-5, he couldn't help but continue grinning. He had other girls pining over him constantly, and yet this particular one was always clouding his mind. The fact that she was slowly opening up to him clearly made him overjoyed. "Maxie...I think you are a little buzzed,"

"Don't call me that," she said with a giggle. "And I am not buzzed," she said in a serious voice. She let out a yelp as she felt a buzzing in her jacket.

"What?" he asked, also slightly feeling the buzz coming on.

"My cell phone is going off...again," she said, reaching into her jacket. She saw it was Logan, and let out a slight growl. Alec tried not to seem surprised about her reaction. She clicked it off, and it fell to the ground. Alec bent down to pick it up, and suddenly he looked into her chocolate colored eyes. He could get lost in those eyes. Without even realizing it, he started to lean in closer looking at her face. Before he knew it, he closed the distance between them. He placed his lips whisper soft against hers, lightly cupping her face in his hands.

She responded to his kiss. It almost felt natural to her; her and Alec hanging out...and now this. Before Alec could begin to enjoy it, she pulled away. Reality came in like a bucket of ice cold water just got poured over Alec's head. Before Alec could even open his mouth to make even an apology come out, she quickly got off her seat. She sprinted out the door, and Alec felt something heavy on his heart. He let out a low even sigh, and left a wad of bills on the table before heading towards his motorcycle.

He swung his leg over his bike, and started it up. He felt his Manticore mask slip back on as he headed towards his apartment. That kiss made feelings he hadn't felt since Rachel come back to surface...except it felt real. Did Max actually think he just wanted to screw her and leave her the next morning? He was so deep in thought, he didn't realize that someone was tailing him. Suddenly his senses kicked in, and he sped up. Suddenly a gun shot rang out, and caught him on the shoulder. He lost control of his bike and was careening off his bike and into a wall.

The last thing he thought of was Max before darkness clouded his vision...


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you all for your reviews, and I really hope you enjoy this chapter..._

Max let out a sigh; what the hell happened at Crash? She had arrived at the Seattle Space Needle before she even knew where she was going. She thought that if she sat at the edge, and looked down at the city that she could think out her problems. She felt guilt flooding her system as she thought about her running out on Alec after their little kiss. Was it more than just that though? She had never been really interested in anyone besides Logan. Even when they could do anything, Logan was too obsessed with Eyes Only. Alec had been nothing like that; pain in the ass he was. She brought her jacket closer to her body as the wind picked up. Alec understood what she had gone through at Manticore, and didn't judge her. She shook her head; she loved Logan didn't she?

Max decided to just get off the tower. She knew she should try and talk to Alec; she owed him that much. Max shook her head; he ruined her notes on the virus. For some odd reason, it just didn't make her angry anymore. She climbed down the rungs of the ladder, and she made her decision. She didn't know what she was going to say, but she needed to go talk to Alec. "Thought I would find you here," she had suddenly hoped that it was Alec who was looking for her. She had a frown on her face when she saw it was Logan Cale.

"Logan...hi..." Max said, shifting on her feet comfortably.

"I have been trying to get a hold of you," Logan said, "everything ok?"

"I'm fine...look, I just kinda want to go home," she fibbed.

"You look a little...depressed..." he pressed on about.

"No...Logan I am just tired," she said, suddenly annoyed with Logan. "I have been overworked at Jam Pony, and then you are always sending me on these missions,"

"Max...I'm sorry," he said, placing a gloved hand on her cheek. She felt uncomfortable with his hand on her face, when just minutes ago it was Alec's hands cupping her face warmly. "If I was working you too hard you could have just told me,"

"Well...you are...look I am just going to go home," she murmured.

"Ok...we can look into this lead I found for the cure to the virus," he said, hoping to loop Max into doing the mission tonight. It did; she broke down.

"Fine...where are we going?" she grumbled. He gestured to his van, and Max sighed, "I would prefer to drive my bike there,"

"It won't take too long," he promised, and Max shook her head.

"You lead the way," she said, swinging a leg over her bike. There was no way she was going to leave her baby behind. In the back of her mind, she felt like Alec was in trouble. She really wished that she could go to Alec's and check on him. She shook her head,and followed Logan down to the pier. She let out a growl. "What are we doing here?" she asked Logan as he stepped out of his van. "Logan...I don't really want to go for a dip right now..." she grumbled, swinging her leg back over her bike. "Lets just do this later ok?" Max asked tiredly.

Logan nodded his head, "Fine...they are going to be here tomorrow night around the same time..." Max nodded her head, and instantly headed back to her apartment. She made sure that Logan wasn't following her, and she turned around. She felt bad; she shouldn't have just ran off like that. She was so concerned that Alec was just going to add her as another notch on his belt...she didn't even think about him.

She soon arrived at his apartment; she really had no idea where he parked his bike. She knew where his room was, so she headed towards it. She knocked on the door, "Alec!" she called out, slightly banging on the door louder. She frowned lightly, not hearing any sounds coming from the room. She pulled out a slim object from her back pocket. She opened up the fabric, and pulled out a lock pick. She unlocked the door, and looked around. She had the sinking feeling that the place would be empty. "Alec," she called out again. What would she say to him?

After a careful inspection of the apartment building, she saw that Alec was no where in the area. She let out a low even sigh, maybe he was still at Crash. She suddenly smiled; he was probably just tossing back some drinks. She frowned after that note; she didn't want him to be like that because of her. She closed and locked the door behind her.

Alec let out a groan, and opened up his eyes. Where the hell was he? As his eyes adjusted to the dark room, he tried to stand up. Before he could move fully, he found he was chained to the wall. He strained against them, and found that they wouldn't break. He should have been able to break them with ease. "That would be a little shot that is going through your body...it numbs the muscles, and tendons in your body," Alec turned his head and tried to focus on the voice again. He couldn't see this guy anywhere. "It also causes temporary acute blindness,"

Alec stayed silent, trying to get a bearing of where he was. It was an attempt made in vain, and he knew it. "Ah...494..you seem to be the silent type," Alec immediately tried to straighten his pose. Damn Manticore for making him like that. He made himself relax; don't let the interrogator get to you. "It seems like you are going by the name Alec McDowell now...I guess it suits you...makes you seem like you aren't a killer..." He ground his teeth together, and just glared towards the voice.

"What do you want with me?" Alec croaked out.

"We know that you and another certain X-5 are working with...Eyes Only," the voice replied coldly. "What the hell possessed you two to degrade yourselves to that work is beyond me.."

Alec once again refrained from saying anything, "Oh yes your question..." he mused. "Well...we knew where to find you and a certain X-5...a 452 are. Now we were hoping that you would tell us where to find this little thorn in our side,"

"Why should I do that?" Alec asked, smirk in his voice.

"Well...I think that you wouldn't want to hurt your new-found family," Alec knew he couldn't tell anyone who Eyes Only was. He knew that he couldn't betray Max like that. He honestly didn't give a shit about Logan, but he wasn't about to sell Max out. "494...I am not liking this silence..." He felt a wave of ice water dumped over him.

He shivered lightly, and sputtered out water from his mouth. "Is water really the best you got...Manticore has to do better than that," Alec taunted.

"494, you more than anyone should know how powerful people are in the Psy Ops division," Alec felt a fear wash over him. He swallowed the lump slowly forming in his throat. He couldn't let them hurt Max, even if it meant going through a Psy Ops like torture. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this..." Alec started to strain against the chains as he felt a needle go into his skin. He was dipped into unconsciousness, hoping they wouldn't crack him.

Logan arrived back at his condo and started up once again. He didn't know why Max was acting like she was lately. It was like as if she didn't care about finding the cure to the virus. Maybe he was pushing her too hard. Logan shook his head; it wasn't that. She was just spending too much time with that monster Alec. Yeah, that was it, Logan thought. As he looked on the screen, he noticed something was going on. He clicked on the screen, and frowned looking at a video feed. It appeared to be Alec being chased, and shot.

A part of him felt like he should call Max up right now, and let her know that Alec was kidnapped. Then again...this would be a sure way for Max to not always have to bail his ass out of situations. He closed out of the video feed, and sat back rubbing his eyes. This was the right thing for Max...

_I know it is kinda a crappy place to end this chapter, but whatever...hope you enjoyed it :)_


	3. Chapter 3

As Max left Alec's apartment, she couldn't help but fear that he had left for good

As Max left Alec's apartment, she couldn't help but fear that he had left for good. After all the times she had told him to get out of her life, she had hoped that this stupid thing she ran away from wasn't one of those times for him to actually listen. She frowned deeply; she didn't want him to leave. She had gotten so used to him being around. She shook her head; he wouldn't just leave. That wasn't Alec's style. Something must have happened to him, and that didn't settle Max much. Maybe someone from Manticore recognized him as Monty Cora. She hoped on her motorcycle and started to drive around. She now knew more than ever that she needed to find Alec.

Max looked towards one of the exits; it lead to Logan's. Maybe she could use his help in finding Alec. Then again, she had told him that she was tired. She let out a sigh; maybe Alec was just with one of his regular girl things; he was a Tom Cat after all...wasn't he? If he wasn't at Jam Pony the next day, she was going to hunt him down from town to town. Max headed back towards her and OC's apartment; she just needed to sleep this off.

She let out a loud sigh as she approached her apartment. She looked up at the room, and saw the lights were on still. OC was probably up waiting for her, and she shuddered. For an ordinary, she knew how to invoke fear in someone. She went up to her room, and unlocked the door. "Max where the hell have you been girl?" she questioned as soon as Max walked in the door. After seeing one look at Max's face, she softened her glare. "What's wrong?" OC wasn't at Crash when Max and Alec kissed, so she needed to catch her up.

"I..." Max cursed silently. She was never able to articulate what she wanted to say without complications.

"Spit it out Boo," OC said, wondering what was bothering her best friend.

"Well…Alec was trying to get my mind off of everything…"

"Everything?" OC questioned.

"You know how Logan is constantly sending me on EO missions?" Max questioned in a soft voice. OC nodded her head, and waited for her friend to continue. "Well…Alec said that he would treat me to a couple drinks at Crash…and…"

"And?" she murmured.

"In the middle of the drinking…Logan called me. I turned my phone off, and somehow dropped it. We both bent down to pick it up and…I don't really know how we ended up…"

"Well it's about damn time Boo!" OC said excitedly, already anticipating what she was going to say. Then she frowned, "Max…you didn't just walk after you kissed did you?" Max's silence answered everything, "You can't just do that to the poor guy Max…have you not seen him following you around like a lost puppy dog. He cares about you so much…"

"Cindy, come on now…"

"Don't you start denying it again," OC groused. "Are you honestly that blind? You never stick around long enough to see Alec pushing any pretty thang that tries saunter to him,"

"Then…" Max was so confused.

"You never gave him the chance to try and explain himself," Cindy reminded her.

"I really screwed things up didn't I?" Max questioned, sinking down onto the couch. "I was looking for him…I just couldn't even…"

"That doesn't sound like Hot Boy to me…he wouldn't just up and bounce like that," OC said to Max.

"He wasn't at his apartment…OC…what if he really left?" Max questioned. This was the first time that she had ever seen Max like this.

"Hot boy wouldn't do that…Now chin up. He will be at work tomorrow," Max nodded her head, and went towards her room. She was just overreacting; maybe relaxing in the tub will get her mind off things. As she headed towards the bathroom, she heard a van starting up. She had the sudden urge to look out the window. She frowned when she saw someone struggling against a couple men. Her sight heightened as she focused in on the fighting group.

She let out a gasp, as she saw Alec was the one struggling against the group of guys. She didn't even think about herself, she flew out the window, and landed nimbly on her feet. She grasped one of the guys, and threw him hard into the wall. She definitely knew that it was Alec that was being kidnapped. He didn't look good at all; bruised up face, pale, and was he shivering? "Max?" he questioned drowsily.

Before she could answer him, she felt herself being thrown into a wall.

Alec tried to throw the guys off of him; he couldn't let them get near Max. He couldn't seem to focus on fighting. All he saw was Max trying her hardest to get him away from these Manticore-like scientists. She was thrown against the wall again, and he felt himself being shoved into yet another van. What did these people think that they would accomplish?

Max let out a growl as she saw that she hadn't been able to fight them off. She hadn't fought anyone this tough since those convicts who were supercharged with those probes in their skulls. Max knew something was wrong; now she had to go save Alec. The trail was probably cold by now; she had to get some help. Logan was the only one that had the technology that could hack into the security cameras to track Alec and his captors. She blurred over to her bike, and sped towards Logan's loft. She made sure to slow it down when she got near his place. She didn't want him to know she was there. It kind of reminded her of the time that she went there to steal and pawn his belongings.

She found his fire escape that was installed, and stealthily careened up it. She picked the lock on his sunroof and landed with a barely audible thud on the ground. She snuck over to his computer, but before she could turn it on the lights flooded on. "Max…" Logan asked, sleep heavy in his voice. "Something wrong?" he questioned.

"Yeah…someone kidnapped Alec," Max growled angrily. Normally when she complained about Alec, her voice was laced with agitation. Logan was surprised to hear nothing but anger, and he could tell that she wanted to get him back as soon as possible. As Max continued to look through his files, she noticed something. It was file Logan had apparently opened up earlier. Her frown darkened when she saw that it was a video feed from hours ago that showed Alec was being kidnapped. "Logan…" Max growled.

He knew he was caught. He was hoping that she would understand that he was just trying to protect her from having to save this apparent "pain in the ass," once again. "Max…"

"Find him now Logan," Max said, after wiping down the keyboard so that the virus wouldn't kill him. It seemed tempting now though.

"Alright," he said, as Max got up to let him through. After a few minutes, he had found Alec in a place slightly outside where Max had originally found him.

"Why didn't you tell me he was kidnapped?" Max shot at him, an angry glare in her eyes.

"Max-,"

"Alec has helped you on so many goddamn one of your missions, and when he fucking needs your help…you just let him go," Max shot. She noticed he had his gloves on and was trying to touch her face once again. "This is it Logan. I am saving Alec, and I don't want you to contact me or him ever again," she shot.

"Max-," he started again. All it got him was a firm kick in the chest, sending him flying back onto his couch. Max turned around, and blurred to her bike. She kickstarted it, and flew towards the place where Alec was being held. Hold on Alec, I'll be there soon, Max thought to herself.

Alec shook his head lightly as he felt a bag ripped off from his head. "Well 494, it seems like we now know where 452 lives. I want you to tell me everything you know on this Eyes Only person-,"

"As if," Alec snorted lightly, "if you people were really Mantiocore, you would know who he is," he hoped anyways.

"Now now now 494…" the voice said, and suddenly Alec heard a loud crash resound throughout the room.

"You sick son ofa bitch!" Max roared, and suddenly there were sounds of painful grunts coming from multiple people. Suddenly Alec felt her small hands on his face. "Alec…" she whispered softly.

"Max…he croaked.

"Its ok," she soothed, "I'm going to get you out of here…" she promised, unlocking the chains from around his legs and wrists. He fell on her, unable to support himself.

"Sorry," he mumbled, trying to get himself to stand up again. She shook her head, and pulled his arm around her shoulders.

"Come on…I wasn't able to catch the guy interrogating you…" she mumbled. "I just need to get you out of here," she whispered. Normally he would have thought that she would have him relax against the wall while she looked for him. Then he realized muddily that she wouldn't do that…she wouldn't leave another person she cared about behind again. "Alec…stay awake…" Max commanded lightly.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the night, and he looked at Max's worried face. "We should go to my apartment…when you leapt out the window you kinda showed them where you lived…"

"Its ok Alec…you are going to be fine," she whispered, getting him closer to her body. He was kinda cold still, and that worried Max. "Are you going to be able to hold on?" she asked gesturing to the bike.

"Max…you said you would never let me touch your-," he coughed lightly, and Max had him sit down on her bike. She swung her leg over, and had him wrap his arms tightly around her waist.

"Stay awake ok?" she whispered.

"Maxie…" he whispered. He could hear tears in her voice, and he wanted nothing more to embrace her tightly and whisper soft words of reassurance to her.

They arrived at her apartment, and Alec was reluctant to let them go in. "Max…"

"No," she demanded. There was now way he was going to be able to take care of himself, she was going to do it. He shivered lightly again, and Max suddenly thought maybe it was a bad idea to bring him here. "Alright…we are going to go to your apartment, only because I don't have any clothes your size here," he nodded his head, and tightened his arms around her again. She felt so warm, and for a moment he could believe she really cared for him. She held him for a moment, and let him feel the warmth of her body. She led him back towards the bike, and once again sped towards his apartment.

He was barely awake by the time they got there. Max was extremely worried about him now. She went up to his room, and remembered she left it unlocked. She opened the door, and closed it behind them. She made sure to lock the door, and led him to his bathroom. "I'm cold Max," he murmured.

"I know…it is going to be ok," she murmured again. She started to help him out of his wet clothes. He wanted to make a comment about him getting naked but he shivered again as the clothes left his body. She stopped when she got him to down to his boxers.

"I got them," he murmured, shakily starting to take them off. Max ignored the shiver of arousal going through her. She grabbed a towel, and dried him off. She got him into his room, and he got on a pair of boxers. She stripped off her jacket, and got him to lie down on his bed. She pulled off her shoes, and jeans as well before climbing into bed next to him. "You…you aren't leaving?" he questioned. He almost looked like a little kid, teary eyed and everything. She wrapped her arms around him, and he instantly brought her closer.

"No…I'm not leaving," she whispered, it meaning more than one way. She softly brushed her lips against his, and he was surprised. She smiled at him, and he sincerely hoped that he wasn't dreaming. After a moment he returned the smile. "Get some sleep…" she whispered. He nuzzled his head into her neck, and fell asleep with a content smile on his face.

_This wasn't the way I had intended to go but oh well…I would have gotten this up way sooner, but…something bad happened at home…so anyways, I hope you enjoy this update…_


	4. Chapter 4

Alec let out a groan as he woke up. He felt ice cold once again, and didn't feel Max anywhere near him. He shivered as he tried to get out from his bed, but felt a nice warm hand restraining him to the bed. "Alec...you need to calm down and let your body heal...they did a whammy on you," she whispered. She wrapped the blankets tighter around him, but it didn't seem to help.

"Max...you are here still.." he murmured. She smiled lightly, and nodded her head. "Max...I know this probably sounds like the most vulgar thing in the world right now, but can you please lay down with me?" he shivered. Apparently he didn't remember much of last night and how she had stayed with him all night, making sure he was warm.

"Alec...it isn't a vulgar thought at all," she whispered. She lightly pulled back the sheets, and hurriedly got into the bed. She wrapped her arms around him as she covered them with the sheets. He molded into her body, and started to slowly warm up. "Alec...you don't remember much of last night do you?" she questioned. He shook his head, and felt her come closer to him. "Alec...I was so scared that I was going to lose you...and after what happened at the bar..." she started to ramble. Alec looked at her slightly in awe, not expecting to hear this from her ever. "I'm sorry Alec.." she murmured into his neck.

"S'ok," he mumbled. "You mean it?" he questioned in a small voice. She had never ever seen him like this before...so vulnerable. "Maxie," he breathed.

"Of course I do," she murmured, lightly rubbing his shoulder. She reached up and lightly placed her lips on top of his. It was a hesitant brush against his lips, and he slowly kissed back. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not. Was the girl of his dreams finally admitting her feelings for him? He brought a hand into her hair drawing her closer. He lovingly caressed his tongue on her sweet lips, and she let him grant access into her mouth. After a moment she pulled away, much to Alec's disappointment.

"Wow..." he breathed, shivering slightly. He leaned in for another kiss, but Max smirked lightly at him.

"Alec,"

"Max..." he pouted softly.

"You gotta relax," she murmured. "I know you don't want to, but on the bright side I'll be here with you," she whispered. Seeing him pouting still, she placed her lips lightly against his. She seemed so nervous around him still, and he wished he could help her relax. He brought her closer to his body, and nuzzled his head into her neck.

"You're so warm," he murmured, sleepily.

"You'll be better soon," she whispered.

"You aren't going to leave are you?" he questioned, looking down at her.

"Alec...I am going to have to go get some clothes eventually," she murmured. "And I will definitely want to be with you more often..." she said with a small smile.

"Yeah?" he murmured softly. She nodded her head, and snuggled into him.

"Yeah...now get some rest," she whispered softly. He yawned, between the warmth from the sheets and Max he fell asleep. She looked at his sleeping form and saw a smile on his face. His skin was still cold to the touch, but he was slowly warming up still. Max couldn't believe where she was; she never thought she would be here with Alec. She honestly never thought she would care if he was like this, but now she is just wanting him to be happy.

She grinned, and brushed a hand through her hair. She felt Alec tighten his arm around her, and she smiled. "Maxie..." he murmured.

"You should be sleeping," she whispered.

"What about work?" he questioned groggily.

"Called us in...said you had hypothermia," she murmured. "I got us covered," she whispered. Alec smiled.

"Never thought you one for playing hooky," he said with a small smirk.

"Keeping you warm is not playing hooky,"she said with a serious voice. She sighed softly as they fell into silence again. After a minute, she heard his stomach growl. She chuckled lightly, and looked up at him. "Hungry?" she questioned. He nodded his head with a pout, "Whatcha want to eat?" she questioned, running a hand lightly through his hair.

"I don't want you to go yet," he murmured, squeezing her against him.

"Ok, ok," she whispered, laying her head on his chest. She listened to his erratic heartbeat, and felt it slowly go back to normal.

"You aren't just doing this out of guilt are you?" he questioned suddenly. She looked up at him.

"No...well its part of it, but I am here because I want to be," she whispered. She looked at him, and grasped his hand. He smiled at her with happiness apparent in his face.

"Guess I owe you again," he murmured, turning his gaze away for a moment.

"Alec...its fine...you would have done the same for me," she murmured, drawing him close. "You need to stop piling so much guilt upon yourself," Alec looked at her; she had always blamed him for whatever went wrong. As if she read his mind, "I know I haven't been the most supportive person since you came into my life...and you didn't deserve that,"

Alec got slightly teary eyed, and brought her close. "Maxie..." he whispered, tears falling on her arm.

"Alec..." she whispered, wiping the tears away. "Its ok..." she whispered, lightly kissing where his tears once laid. "I'm sorry," she murmured, "I won't ever hurt you like that again," Alec couldn't begin to formulate the words he wanted to express to her. He physically expressed his feelings by placing his lips on top of hers. He pulled away, once again shivering. "You better get some sleep Alec..."

"I just don't want to go to sleep, and wake up with you not being here..." he murmured in a soft voice. She didn't want him to think that. She snuggled into him, and he let out a yawn. He felt more reassured that she wouldn't leave.

"I won't leave," she promised. He brought Max closer, relishing in her warmth. "Get some sleep Alec..." she murmured. He nodded his head, and closed his eyes. He inhaled her unique scent, and smiled sleepily. She heard his breathing lighten, and finally he went to sleep. She looked up at his sleeping face. He looked like he had no worries at all as he slept. There was a difference in her and Alec's relationship and she couldn't deny it anymore. Especially after this; there was no way to set that invisible line that was always there. As she continued to muse, she felt Alec tighten his arms around her.

She laid her head against his shoulder, and felt his breath against her hair. For some odd reason, she felt herself calm down and not think about the things going on at the moment. Max too fell into a peaceful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Alec woke up, and found that Max asleep against him still. He couldn't help but grin, as she nuzzled against his body. He couldn't believe that this was happening to him; Max was actually here with him...willingly. He looked down at her, and felt her breathing lighten as she started to wake up. "Hey," she whispered.

"Hi," he murmured.

"You feeling ok?" she asked him.

"Yeah...I'm ok...don't feel cold anymore," He was surprised when she didn't immediately pulled away. Alec was more than happy to continue holding her in his arms. It wasn't awkward at all, and he couldn't help but bring her closer.

"Alec..." she whispered.

"Yeah?" he asked, sensing a slightly nervous tone in her voice.

"I...I meant what I said last night," she murmured. Alec smiled lightly, and tightened his arms around her.

"I'm glad," he whispered. "Max," he murmured. "Where does this leave us?" he wanted this to be more than just friendship, but he wasn't sure where Max was at.

"Where do you want it to be?" she questioned, leaning her elbow on the pillow.

"With you," he admitted, "Is..." he stopped. "Is that ok with you?" he questioned softly. She nodded her head, and he grinned. He hesitantly brought a hand through her hair, and she leaned into his touch. It felt normal them being this close, but he didn't want to scare her by saying that.

"You are definitely warmer than you were last night," she whispered, crawling up to place a small kiss on his lips. He grinned against her lips, and brought her closer. He pulled his lips away lightly, and leaned his forehead against hers. He was glad to see a smile plastered on her face as well. He wondered where this Max came from, happy carefree...

"Whatcha thinking about?" she murmured, looking at his thoughtful face.

"You seem...happier..." he thought a loud. He expected Max to say something mean, but she didn't. She looked up at him.

"I...I am," she murmured. "I am just glad that I was able to save you," she murmured, laying a hand on his shoulder. He smiled lightly, and felt her pull away. "How about we see what we have got to eat here?" she asked, pulling out of the bed. She bent down and picked up her jeans, quickly putting them on. Despite their current situation, she was still a little shy about showing her body. She noticed with a light grin on her face, that Alec didn't seem to care if he was more than half naked walking around his house. She almost envied his ability to be so comfortable in his own skin.

Alec scratched his head, and got up with Max as well. "I..I guess I'll show you around," he murmured, offering his hand out to her. She realized that she never really saw what his apartment looked like, she had never stuck around long enough to see. She gingerly took his offered hand, and saw a look of happiness flash across his face.

"Well...I guess you said something about food," he whispered, leading them into the kitchen. "I don't really have-,"

"Its ok Alec..." Max said, squeezing his hand. She stopped their walking, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm not going to bite your head off every time something isn't exactly right..." He stayed silent, "Not anymore anyways," she promised.

"Am...am I dreaming?" he whispered aloud.

"No...no your not," she said to him.

"Its just so weird," he admitted.

"I know," she said to him. He squeezed her gently before pulling away. "I...I think we should go kinda slow..." Alec immediately nodded his head. He didn't mind going slow, he wanted to show how much he cared for Max. "I didn't expect you to agree so quickly,"

"Normally I wouldn't Max...but you are a different kinda girl," he said with a small smile. "I want to prove that you can trust me,"

"I already trust you," she whispered in his ear. He smiled and held her for a moment more.

"And you said the only physical contact we would have was your foot kicking my ass," he said with a smirk. Max playfully smacked him upside his head.

"Just had to ruin the moment didn't ya?" she teased gently.

"I dunno...I think you enjoy when I draw away from the subject," he chuckled. She nodded, and felt him gently tug her closer. "I'm glad you are here Max," he mumbled.

"We just...gotta take things slow," she whispered. "I don't want to screw up this relationship," Alec nodded his head, understanding completely.

"Max...I am not going to do anything to ruin this. Whatever you want...we'll stick with it," he promised, giving her a squeeze. She smiled shyly, and he leaned his forehead against hers. "You can trust me, I promise," he whispered gently. She didn't say anything, "Maxie...are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she whispered, "Just wondering if this is too good to be true," He kissed her tenderly on the lips.

"Max we are going to be ok...but at the moment, how about we just have fun...and not worry about the big things," Alec whispered to her.

"Thanks...you always seem to say the right things lately," she murmured.

"I'm glad I haven't screwed up yet," he said with a smile. "We will be ok," he promised. She nodded her head, and pulled away lightly.

A few hours later, Max and Alec were just sitting on his couch. He had her in his arms, and let his hand lightly ran down to hers. She smiled, and squeezed his hand gently. "I don't want this night to be over," she murmured lightly in his ear.

"You going home tonight?" he questioned, not really wanting to hear her answer.

"Nah...OC probably has one of her girlfriend's over," Max murmured. She laid her head on his shoulder, and listened to his heartbeat. He inhaled her unique scent, and felt a smile hit his face. He nuzzled his chin lightly against her head. She laughed lightly as his light stubble scratched her forehead.

"Sorry, I'll take care of that later," he murmured.

"I don't mind," she whispered, her finger lightly trailing along his jawline. As Max thought about how some people were going to react about them being a couple, she let out a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" he asked, smiling lightly at her chuckle.

"Just thinking about how Normal is going to react tomorrow," she smirked. Alec let out a laugh as well, and brought her closer. Alec let out a yawn, and Max looked up at him. "You still not feeling too well?" she questioned, lightly putting a hand on his forehead.

"I'm just a little tired," he mumbled.

"Maybe you should go to bed," she whispered. "I mean, those guys hurt you quite a bit," she mumbled, turning her gaze downwards.

"Hey..." he murmured, gently lifting her chin up. Her gaze turned back up to his, "I'm ok..." he assured her. "But the prospect of sleep sounds really good," He reluctantly unwrapped his arms from around her, and headed towards his room. He heard Max's footsteps behind him, and he smiled sleepily. Alec laid flopped down on his bed, and was surprised to see her crawl into the bed next to him. She wrapped her arms around him, and laid her head on his chest.

He had to admit that it felt good to have her against him. He couldn't help but bring her closer, and she felt her snuggle into him. "I really didn't expect you the cuddling type," Alec joked sleepily.

"You bring out the worst in me I guess," Max joked back. Alec grinned, liking this more laid back Max. "Get some rest," she mumbled. She heard his light snoring, and looked up at him. He once again had that peaceful boyish look on his face. As she laid down fully, she felt Alec draw her closer. It was back to work tomorrow, but she didn't think about that as she fell to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Max ladled a cup of tea in her hand, and looked towards Alec's room where he was still sleeping. She smiled lightly, and saw him turn over on the bed. He let out a disappointed groan, as he didn't feel next to him. He grabbed the pillow that Max's head was on and breathed in her scent. "Max," mumbled into the pillow, and she smiled. She put the tea down on his table, and walked into Alec's room. She crawled back into the bed, and felt Alec let go of the pillow he had. His muscular arms snaked around Max bringing her closer. "Much better," he mumbled sleepily. He nuzzled her neck, and smiled. He pulled away lightly to squint at the clock.

"How long have you been up for?" he questioned, noticing the still really early.

"A couple hours," she mumbled. "You can get back to sleep," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You need it too," he murmured, rubbing her back lightly. At his touch, she calmed down slightly. "Maxie..." he mumbled, "I'm not going to sleep until you do," he whispered. She chuckled lightly, and felt her head lean on his chest, right where his heart was. He smiled lightly, instantly feeling her body relax against his. "Max," he mumbled. She grunted in response, starting to slip into unconsciousness. He smiled, and decided he could tell her later; when she was ready to hear it.

Hours later, they were at work and Max surprised him once again by acting couple-like around everyone they knew. Alec opened up his locker, and took his leather jacket off the hanger. He slipped it on over his shoulders, and turned around to see Max and Original Cindy walking in. He couldn't help but smile as he saw the dark haired beauty talk with her best friend. "Boo, you still haven't told me where you went the past couple nights,"

"I know...I'm sorry," she said to OC.

"So..did you talk to your boy?" OC questioned. Alec slipped off from the lockers, and eavesdropped on their conversation.

"Yeah....yeah I did," she said, a little solemnly. "If I hadn't found him...he could have died," Alec felt his heart swell; he didn't Max to be sad about this still. "Logan knew he was kidnapped and didn't even bother to tell me..." Max let out a sigh, and ran a hand through her hair. "But at least I got to talk with Alec..."

"Good..." OC said, opening up her locker to grab a jacket.

"I know you want to say it," Max sighed lightly.

"What?" OC asked in an innocent voice.

"You want an I told you so," Max said.

"No...its ok," OC said. "Alec...you can come out if you want," OC called out over her shoulder. Alec cringed; for an ordinary she had a keen sense of pretty much everything. Max turned around, and saw a sheepish look on his face.

"Hi," he mumbled, expecting a lecture from Max. He walked over towards her, and she smiled lightly. He returned it, and reached for her hand. She grabbed it and felt his fingers stroked her own.

"You two are so cute," Original Cindy exclaimed. "Now heres your warning Alec...hurt my Boo and I will throw the smack down on you,"

"I won't hurt her, I promise," Alec whispered, bringing an arm around his Maxie.

"Good...lets hit up Crash," OC said.

"Sounds like a plan," Alec said, smiling lightly. Max nodded her head and smiled up at him. They walked towards their bikes, and Alec smirked suddenly. "Wanna race there?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"You're on Pretty Boy," Max exclaimed, hopping on her bike. She looked towards Alec, and saw that he was already trying to get ahead of her. This what she liked; being able to be free, and yet being able to be with Alec like she was. She easily caught up with him, and Max could tell that he was holding back. For once, it didn't bother her. Seeing her catch up, he started to zoom ahead once again. Alec barely beat her to Crash, and stopped his motorbike. He turned to her and grinned. She had never seen him so happy before; she was glad that she was able to do that for him.

"Looks, like I win," he chuckled lightly. She gently punched his chest, and he put a hand over where she had hit him. "Ow...that hurt," he joked.

"I'm sorry," she said, leaning closer to him. Alec definitely loved the fact that she was staying around his space. He placed his hands on her waist, and brought her body against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying the feel of her body against his. "Better?" she asked, placing a light kiss on his lips. She heard a muffled, "Mmmhm," against her lips, as he brought her closer.

Original Cindy came up a few minutes later, and saw the pair just looking at each other. She knew that they would eventually get inside, so she decided to go into the bar. After a few minutes, Max reluctantly turned her gaze towards Crash. "I kinda don't want to go in today," Max admitted.

"You want to go somewhere else?" he asked, wrapping his hands around her own.

"We should still make an appearance-," Max started to say, and then heard Original Cindy come out.

"Hey you two..." she started.

"Hey, we were just going to come in-," Max started.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else," OC suggested.

"Why?" Alec questioned, noticing their friend's tone.

"Well..." OC started, not sure if she should go any farther. "Logan is in there; and he is getting pretty hammered," Max didn't want to see him like that; in fact she didn't want to see him at all. Alec instinctively brought Max closer to his body.

"Its ok...lets just get out of here," Max whispered to him.

"Where do you want to go?" he questioned.

"How about we go back to your place?" Max asked him. He grinned, he liking the sound of her in his apartment once again.

"Sounds good...we can watch a movie or something..." they realized that OC was there still. Alec looked at his girlfriend, then to OC.

"You want to come with?" Max asked.

"Nah....someone has to stay here to make sure Sketchy gets home safe," OC said. She had a feeling that they were going to want some alone time. Alec smiled gratefully at their friend, and wrapped an arm around Max.

"You still want to go back to my place?" he asked. She nodded her head, and he couldn't help but smile once again. Max swung a leg over her bike, and looked at Alec. He grinned at her, and gunned up his bike. He noticed the nervousness that was surrounding Max, but didn't want to say anything to her about it. When it came to Max, it was usually better to let her come to you, Alec thought. He let Max go ahead, and he looked at her as she drove.

Alec wondered if this was how Max acted before she got kidnapped at Manticore again. He definitely liked how Max was acting now. Before he knew it, they were at his apartment once again. He saw her flip her long hair over her shoulder as she got off of her motorcycle. Alec walked over towards Max, and placed his hands on her shoulders. His hands trailed down to hers, and he asked, "So...what do you wanna do?" he questioned, heading up the stairs. Max's arms was looped through his, and she found herself leaning her head against his shoulder. She had always wanted something like this in a relationship, she had never had this with Logan. This thing with Alec was special, and she wasn't going to mess it up.

Alec unlocked the door, and let Max in. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

"That sounds good to me," she whispered. "Pick whatever you want," she murmured. Alec grinned and nodded his head. She sat down on the couch, and saw Alec pop in a movie. He sat down next to her, and felt her lean against his body. It seemed so natural to both of the transgenics. He looked down and smiled lightly, she was sleeping soundlessly. He tried to move her fully into his arms, but she refused to budge.

"Maxie," Alec sighed, but didn't attempt to move her again; he was more than content with her leaning against him. He brought a hand through her hair, and felt her lean to his touch. This was definitely better than his little fling with Rachel. He let out a yawn, and pulled her up a little bit so he could lay down on the couch. He settled her down back on top of him. He lightly kissed her forehead, and fell asleep with a content smile on his face.


	7. Chapter 7

Max Guevara let out a sigh as she closed her locker door. The brunette beauty walked towards Jam Pony's exit. Alec McDowell walked in, and saw Max looking a little depressed. He walked over towards her, wondering what was wrong. He walked over towards her, seeing her sigh again. "Maxie..."Alec whispered.

"Hey," she murmured back. Alec wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. She eagerly leaned into his loving embrace.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, lightly rubbing her waist with his hands.

"Nothings wrong," she whispered, not in the mood to really talk. She turned around in his embrace, and placed a kiss on his lips. He knew she was hiding something, but wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about it.

"You know you can talk to me right?" he murmured, letting on that he was there if she wanted to talk.

"Yeah..." she whispered, giving him a squeeze. "Just not right now...please?" she asked, laying a hand on his chest.

Alec placed his hand on top of hers, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Whenever you are ready," he promised, putting a gentle kiss on her lips. "Not a second before," he added. She smiled gratefully, and leaned into him.

"So what are you doing tonight?" he asked, placing his head on the crook of her neck.

"I dunno," she murmured, "Logan has been calling quite a bit," Alec frowned at that note; was she already going back to him? Seeing the look on his face, she wrapped her arms around his neck. His wounded look went away, and felt her press against him. "I just kinda want to get away from it all,"

"Yeah?" he whispered, "we can do that," he offered, his hand going to her cheek to rub it tenderly. "Go out on the town..." he murmured, his other hand resting comfortably on her hip. She felt a smile tugging at her face. "What do ya say?" he asked, hoping she wasn't going say no. "Unless you want to go by yourself-,"

"No, no," Max whispered, grabbing his hand. "That sounds like fun," she admitted, "Where do you propose we go?" she asked. He grinned, and placed a kiss on her lips. She kissed him back lovingly, and pulled away with a sigh.

"I thought you were going to say no," he admitted, rubbing his neck sheepishly. She never knew how nervous he could be. "We could just start driving," he murmured, "make it up as we go along," Normally Max liked knowing what would happen, but she was glad for the mystery.

"Ok," she whispered, "but I got to let OC know that we are going out for a few days...don't want to worry her again," she added. Alec nodded his head, he understood completely.

"Max...." Alec murmured, as they exited the delivery place. He knew about Max wanting to find her 'siblings.' "I know this might be a sore subject....but didn't Logan say he was going to help find your family?" he questioned.

"He said he would, but there had been a lot of-," she sighed, running her hand through her hair.

"Max...he wasn't really trying...but you know I will," Alec whispered. "I can help you look for them..." he offered with a small smile. Max pulled away lightly, not sure if she heard correctly.

"You...you would do that?" she questioned lightly with a shy grin. He nodded his head, and she couldn't believe that she ever thought Alec was an asshole. She stopped his walking, and tightly embraced him. Alec brought her close, not wanting this moment to end. His hand traveled to her hair, and onto her barcode, massaging her neck gently. The sensations that his skilled digits were creating made Max nestle against him. "Mmmm," she murmured into his shoulder.

"Feel good?" he questioned. She murmured something incoherently,and Alec felt her starting to doze off. "Gotta stay awake," he whispered, placing kisses on her neck. She opened up her eyes, and felt Alec's smirk as he kissed her neck. "So you want to go to your place?" he asked, rubbing her arms.

"Sounds good to me," she admitted. They went to their motorcycles, and started towards Max's apartment. Max heard another motorcycle from behind and saw a masked male figure in dark clothing heading towards them. "Alec!" she cried out. Alec made a sharp turn, and saw that the figure was after Alec. Biting her lip, she knew that she had to do something. There was no way in hell she was going to let Alec get kidnapped again. She slammed the hand break, and made her back tire slam into the assailant's front one. The guy went flying, and she tumbled off her bike, and skidded to the ground.

"MAXIE!" Alec roared, coming to a stop. He ran over towards Max, and saw she was barely awake. She shook her head lightly, and felt Alec's hands gently helping her up off the ground. "Max," he whispered, gently bringing her against him. She felt a slight twinge in her shoulder, but ignored it.

"I'm ok," she whispered, trying to pull away so she could get up. She fell against him again, and Alec kept his anger in check as he picked up his girlfriend in his arms.

"I got you Maxie..." he whispered. His body wanted to chase after the guy coming after them, but he knew that he had to take care of Max.

"Where is the jackass?" she asked in a soft voice.

"I don't know," he murmured, cradling her close to him. His rage got channeled into protecting the woman in his arms. "Come on," he murmured, "stay awake," he whispered, as he saw her eyes threatening to flutter close. He blurred towards the hospital, hoping that Max wouldn't go unconscious. "Maxie...talk to me,"

"Are you ok?" she questioned tiredly.

"I'm ok hun.." he whispered.

"That motorcycle guy was after you," she murmured, trying to focus on the man holding onto her. "I couldn't let you get kidnapped again,"

"Max," he whispered. She didn't say anything more; she was knocked out. Alec tumbled inside the door of the hospital, and instantly doctors surrounded them. "Please help us," he yelled. "Motorcycle accident," he explained quickly. He transferred her onto a gurney, and pushed her into a room.

Alec paced around the waiting room; it felt like forever since she had been wheeled in. "Max is asking for you," a doctor said in a soft voice. Alec practically sprinted to the room, and saw Max wide awake, looking a bit better.

"Hey," she whispered with a soft smile. He sat down next to her, and grasped her hand with one of his own. He pressed his lips gently to the top of her forehead, and heard her sigh. "I'm ok," she whispered.

"You didn't have to do that..." Alec whispered.

"I know..." she replied, "but you can't help but protect the ones-," she stopped, shyness suddenly attacking her being, "-the ones you care about," she whispered. Alec wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close to him. This was something that he hadn't ever felt before; someone putting themselves in danger, to protect him. She tiredly placed her head in the crook of his neck, and breathed in his warm musky scent.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," he murmured, running a hand through her hair. He held her for a few moments more before a doctor came around and cleared his throat. He pulled away lightly, but kept his arms enclosed around Max. "When is she ok to go?" Alec murmured.

"Ms Guevara can leave anytime," he assured him. She immediately tried to get up from the hospital bed, but felt the X-5 above her was lightly restraining her.

"Maxie...you need to relax a little bit," he whispered. "Please Max," he murmured, when he realized that she was struggling to get up off the cot still. "Just relax for a little while longer?" he sighed. She took a look at his somber face. She nodded her head, and tried to get herself to relax once more. She felt Alec's hand go to her barcode. "Just for a few minutes ok?" With her being transgenic, she would heal so much faster than a normal human. For what it would take a normal human a few weeks, it would take a transgenic a few hours. Alec stood up for a moment, and then lightly moved her over on the bed. She immediately snuggled next to him, and wrapped her arms around him.

His arms wrapped around her, drawing her close once again. The doctor left the room, and Alec leaned his chin on the top of her head. "Alec..." she murmured. He lifted his chin, and looked down at the woman in his arms. "You ok?" she questioned softly.

"Should be asking you that," he replied gently. He didn't say anything more to that, and Max didn't mind. She knew how it was at Manticore, and she knew that it took a while to open up to someone. After a couple minutes, he pulled away slightly. "I think it is time we got out of here," he murmured, placing a soft kiss on her head. She reluctantly felt him pull away from her, and she immediately started to attempt to pull the IV out of her. He let out a sigh, and had already grabbed her fleeting hand. "Maxie-," he grumbled, "lemme do that for you," He didn't want Max to hurt herself again. As gently as he could, he pulled out the IV, and grabbed a cotton ball to press against the wound.

"I'm ok," she whispered, "'I come from the same place as you do," she said placing a hand on his cheek. "I am stronger than most girls," she reminded him. He let a small smile form on his handsome features, and she leaned her forehead against his. They stayed like that for a few minutes before, she pulled away. "Didn't we have plans to head over to your house?"

"Max...are you sure you are up for it?" he questioned. She nodded her head with a grin on her face.

"Lets go," she whispered insistently. She tugged on her boyfriend's arm, and he let out a laugh.

"Ok, ok," he whispered, cradling her form against his own. Max frowned as she realized that she didn't have the money to pay for the hospital bill. "Whats going on?" he asked, rubbing her shoulder with his hand.

"I don't think I will have enough cash to pay for the-,"

"Maxie...I got this one covered," Alec assured her, reaching into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. She opened her mouth to object, but Alec had already silenced her by placing his lips on top of hers. "Its ok," he murmured against her mouth. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and brought her flush against his hip. Max laughed lightly, and let him lead her to the front desk. Alec pulled out a couple fresh bills, and paid for half of it. "Just bill us the rest of this," he wrote down his address.

"Alec..." Max murmured, "how did we get here?" she asked when she didn't see any of their motorcycles.

"I..." he winced, thinking that he was going to yelled at for leaving her bike. "carried you here; there was no way that you were going to be able to hold on," She stayed silent for a moment, and took a look at his face. He had his gaze turned away, and was awaiting his girlfriend to explode in anger.

"Alec..." Max murmured, placing a hand on his face. She turned his face towards hers, and kissed him softly on the lips. "Don't worry about that ok? It is just a bike," she reminded him.

"Who are you and what have you done with Max?" he questioned in a joking tone. She chuckled along with him, and gently tugged on his arms. She wanted to sit down for a moment, and he could sense that. He led her over to a chair, and had her sit down.

"Alec...why don't you go get my bike?" she asked softly. "I'll wait here," he immediately shook his head, and sat down next to her.

"We can go get it together," he murmured. "I just...just don't want anything else to happen to you because of me," he said, guilt leaking into his voice. She knew immediately that it wasn't just this that was bothering him. Before she could ask what was wrong, he stood up. He bent down quickly and picked Max up bridal style. "Lets get you home,"

"I thought we were going to your place," she whined lightly. Alec felt surprise surge into him; it amazed him that she still wanted to be around him. He just tucked her closer, and blurred towards the bikes once again. They were there in moments, and Max tapped his shoulder. "I can ride there...just go a little slower ok?" she murmured. "I'll be careful, I promise," He put her down, and she sauntered over to her bike, swaying her hips lightly to tease her boyfriend.

Alec's jaw dropped slightly, and she smirked glad to know she had some effect on him. He managed to get his mouth closed, and inwardly smirked, knowing his way to get back at her. He just had to find the right moment to unleash his surprise for her. He swung his leg over his bike and kickstarted it up. He was glad that the bikes were there still. "Come on Maxie," he called over his shoulder. She grinned wickedly, and sped ahead of him. Suddenly all the playfulness from his face was gone. Was Max trying to kill him? He sped up to catch up with her, and were over to his apartment. Max stopped and turned around to smile at Alec. Her smile faltered after seeing the grim look on his eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked. He shook his head; he needed to get through his head that she was a trangenic who had been living on her own since she had broken out of Manticore. He tried to soften his eyes as he approached her, he offered an arm to her. She looped her arm through his, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Nothing is wrong," he whispered, distractedly brushing his lips against her forehead. Maybe once inside he would calm down, and stop worrying Max. She ran a hand up to his neck, and ran a couple fingers on his barcode. They entered his apartment room, and he closed and locked the door behind them.

"You sure there isn't anything wrong?" she asked, rubbing his shoulder gently. He nodded his head, and led her towards his bedroom.

"I think you might want to go get some rest," he advised. "And the couch isn't the most comfortable thing in the world," she smiled sleepily. Alec pulled back the sheets, and sighed. He couldn't believe it; this would be the first girl that would be in his bed. He hoped she would be the last girl. "Don't worry, the sheets are clean," he whispered. Max didn't only notice that; she also noticed that everything in the small apartment was spotless and organized. She laid down on the bed, and sighed as his scent enveloped her.

She patted the empty space next to her, and said, "Come lay down with me,"

"Really?" he asked, and she nodded her head. He slipped his shoes off, and crawled in the space next to her. She snuggled next to him, and he eagerly wrapped his arms around her. She sighed contently, and felt safe and at peace. Her head leaned against is chest, and listened to his heartbeat. For some reason it reassured her that Alec would always be there for her. "You asleep?" he breathed.

"No," she whispered. Her hand traveled up his arm, and to his chest. He let out a sigh, feeling her small hand travel across his body. He brought her closer, and heard her breathing lighten. He wanted to talk to her, but he could wait until tomorrow. "I gotcha Maxie," he breathed as she fell asleep. Her slow breathing lulled him into a peaceful slumber.


	8. Chapter 8

"Max..." Alec murmured, trying to get her to wake up. She had been thrashing in her sleep once again, and it was starting to worry him. "Max," he said a little louder, gently shaking her. She gasped and woke up with a gasp. "Hey...what's wrong?" he asked, running a hand through her long locks. She coughed a couple times as she rose to a sitting position. Alec brought a big hand to rub her back. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. She didn't want to talk right now, she barely remembered what happened in her nightmare. Alec had never ever seen her so scared before, she was almost shaking. He brought his arms tightly around her, trying to calm her down. "Maxie..." he said, finally finding his voice. "Are you ok?" he asked after she had calmed down slightly. She shook her head, and remained silent.

She felt tears hit his chest, and she tried to stop crying. He could feel her tense up as she tried to calm down, and he shook his head. He wasn't going to let her hide inside herself again. "Max, its ok to not be tough chick every once in a while," she nodded against his chest. "Whatever it is, it will be ok," Alec whispered, bringing his hand to her barcode. He held her close to his body, rocking her gently back and forth. "It'll be ok," he murmured, once again. Never had he heard or seen Max so scared. She tried to pull away, but Alec pulled her to him once again. She had never felt so cared for before, it was a foreign feeling for her. Foreign as it was, it was definitely a comfort for her as she felt Alec's warm body against her own.

"Thanks," she managed to murmur. "Really appreciate it," she said with a shuddering breath.

"Max..." he whispered, "what happened in that nightmare of yours?" he asked, then after a moment whispered, "only if you want to talk about it," he added. She wanted to talk with him, but until she sorted out the nightmare herself, she didn't want to talk about it.

"Not yet," she managed to whisper, "later," she promised. Alec nodded his head; he wasn't going to pressure Max into anything. She was shocked; the only other person that she had trusted with any kind of information like that was Logan, and he always pressured her to tell him things. She snuggled into him, and he rubbed her back gently. She sighed as she started to recall parts of her nightmare. She saw Alec being kidnapped once again. It was an unsettling feeling; she had seen Ben do it. Ben had managed to overpower Alec, and tried to take Alec's place.

"Sorry," she murmured into his chest.

"Its ok," he whispered, gently pulling her up so that her face could look at his. "Even us supersoldiers need to break down every once in a while," Alec brushed a couple fingers over her face, wiping away the remaining tears.

"Just dreamed that..." she started, "that it was Ben who had kidnapped you," she whispered. His strength probably matched Alec's, but when he is crazy like he was...possibly is...you can't be too sure. "And that he kidnapped you again, and...tried to make it look like he was you," she finally said. He was surprised she had opened up so easily to him.

"Max..." he whispered, "that won't happen," he promised, and placed his lips against hers. She slowly kissed him back, glad he was there with her. He placed his lips against hers once more, and pulled away. "Come here," he whispered, gently pulling her off his bed. He led her towards his bathroom, and pulled out a washcloth. He ran it under some warm water, and squeezed it out. He brushed the hair from her face, and gently rubbed her face. "Feeling a little bit better?" he questioned. She nodded her head.

"Thanks Alec," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he replied. "Do you want to take a bath?" he asked, moving his hands down to hers. "And I can go get us something to eat," he said, thinking that she was under the impression he was pressuring her to intimate things.

"Ok..." she whispered.

"Alright, here is a clean towel," he said, pulling a towel out from the cabinet. "And I'll leave you alone," he whispered. She still felt that if he left, that something bad would happen. She placed a hand on his bicep, stopping him from leaving the room.

"Wait," she whispered, drawing her arms around him.

"What-," he started in a soft voice, but was interrupted by her placing her lips whisper soft against his. He leaned his forehead against hers, and brought his hands to her hips. "You ok?" he asked.

"I...I just need you to be close," she whispered, maneuvering her arms around his neck. His eyes widened in surprise; was she saying what he thought she was saying? She kissed him fully on the lips, and felt his tongue gently asked permission to enter her mouth. She opened up, and he tenderly brought her closer.

"Maxie..." he whispered, lightly pulling away. "Are you sure you are ready for this?" he murmured, placing his hand on her cheek. She nodded her head; she was ready for this. Alec picked her up as if she was made of nothing, and Max shuddered lightly. When they cage fought, he didn't use his full force at all with her. His fist colliding with her cheek had hurt her for a week. He walked them back towards his bedroom. As he placed her on his bed, he tucked a couple strands of hair behind her ear. She couldn't believe how tender and...loving he was being with her. He placed his lips whisper soft against hers, and felt Max bring him closer.

"Max?" he questioned, "just let me know if I go too far," he whispered. She nodded her head, and pulled Alec closer to her. "Since you seem ok with...us..." he murmured, "I just want this night to be special for you," he murmured. "I love you..." he whispered, and he felt her stiffen below him. He blew it big time; he knew how much she hated the L word. "I'm sorry," he murmured, starting to pull away. She stopped him, once again grasping his arms.

"I...I-," she started. She didn't want to hurt him anymore than she had before. He placed a couple of fingers against her lips. He could see the words she was trying to form, and it made him grin. He pulled away his fingers, and once again replaced them with his lips, feeling elation shoot through his whole system. She kissed back just as eagerly, and felt Alec wind a hand into her hair. She started to tug on his tank top, and he stopped her eager pace.

"Slow it down," he whispered, "I'll let you take the reins next time," he promised, stopping her hands from fully tugging his shirt off. "But for now," he whispered, "For now, I am going to make sure you have the time of your life," Max felt a shiver of arousal go through her, and let out a moan as his lips started to attack her neck.

"Alec..." she breathed, and he smiled against her neck. His hands went to the hem of her shirt. He looked at her eyes to gently ask permission to remove her top. He was treating her like a goddess, and she was enjoying every moment of it. She nodded her head, and he lifted her shirt up. She pulled her arms up, helping him take her shirt off. She suddenly felt a little shy, never willingly showing this much of her skin before, unless she was in heat.

"Don't be embarrassed," Alec murmured, gently placing his hands on her face. "You are so beautiful Maxie," he whispered. She smiled, never feeling this way before. "We can stop if you want to..." he murmured, not really meaning his words.

"Don't be ridiculous," she whispered, finally succeeding on pulling his shirt off. It was almost bare chest against bare chest, but she still had a bra on. Everywhere he went with his hands, he lightly traced with his lips all across her body. She was sick of being the only one getting any pleasure out of this; she moved her hands over his chest. He growled in appreciation, and moved his hands to cup one of her breasts. Heat didn't do justice to sex, maybe again it was she never had it with Alec. "Alec..." she gasped once again.

A smile lit up his face and proceeded on taking her. Hours later, his sheets were in a tangle, and he had his arms wrapped around his beautiful girlfriend. Max was sound asleep, and had a sleepy smile on her face. Alec was tired as well, but just wanted to bask in the moment. Alec's hand went through her mussed up hair. She murmured his name in her sleep, and tightened her arms around him. He was so glad that Max didn't run away, she had just stayed in his embrace. She was still shy about revealing herself, and Alec was going to respect that...for now. He brought his sheets around them a little tighter around them. He closed his eyes, and breathed in her scent before falling asleep.

_I didn't feel like writing the whole sex scene...but I hope you enjoyed the chapter._


End file.
